Casey Movers

Casey Movers

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Moving? Check out Casey Movers' Ultimate Moving Guide!

 
You're planning a move and you think it might be time to start thinking about getting a moving company. We understand and encourage homeowners to get three estimates, but Casey Movers would like to be one of them. We provide free in-home estimates in Massachusetts. We provide free boxes (20 book boxes as a rule of thumb, but ask your estimator about getting more) with every move reservation. Call 1-800-482-8828 to get started with Casey Movers today. 

PART ONE: ALL ABOUT ESTIMATES 

When is the right time to get an estimate? 

It is never too early to get an estimate and start talking about prices. If you know what you are moving and where you are moving then it is quite easy to start estimating the cost of a move. Early on, you want to start getting estimates on the weight and/or volume of the shipment. You should have three movers come in and give you an assessment of your home. Generally, estimation of furniture weight is the easy part, and guesstimating the number of boxes in a home is the difficult part. Take weight estimation into consideration when comparing prices. 

What should I tell my estimator when he/she arrives?
There is some vital information that an estimator needs to do his pricing correctly. Ideally, an estimator will be able to visit your home. However, if it is more convenient for you, we are able to do over-the-phone estimates. 

1. Current address and where you are moving to. Again, it is never too early to get an initial moving estimate. It is understandable if you do not have a new home confirmed. However, it does help if you have a general idea of location. Are you looking in the same town, or are you planning a move to Florida? 

2. Move dates and time. Move dates and times are very helpful if you have that information available. Keep in mind that down time and hold overs must be charged for so it is useful to let the estimator know that you require those services ahead of time. However, if you do not yet have specific move out and move in times yet, you can always let the moving company know at a later time. They will be able to provide a new estimate with the new dates and times based on the assessed weight and volume of the household goods being shipped.
3. Do you require packing services? Are you going to box everything prior to the movers showing up, or do you require them to box things for you? This goes for dishes, small household items, art work, televisions, etc. Moving companies must charge for the time and materials, so it is useful for the estimator to know if you require these services ahead of the move. 

4. What is the moving company responsible for taking? Is the moving company going to be taking everything in the house? Or, is it a situation where they are going to take certain pieces of furniture and you will take the boxes. Sometimes, it is very cost effective to have the mover take only the large pieces of furniture that you cannot handle. That way you do not break your back, and you can save on labor cost when it comes to move day. When the estimator arrives, he will likely do a pre-move inventory of everything the mover is going to be responsible for taking. Please be sure to review this inventory as it is this form that the estimate is based on. Make sure it is accurate. 

5. Do you require storage? Are you going to need storage, or a short-term hold over? There are a couple of ways to do this. The easiest method is to load the truck and have it unloaded at a later date and time. This has many benefits. It saves on the cost of labor, and it also prevents the furniture from having to be moved more than necessary which reduces risk of damage. However, if you plan on holding up your goods long-term (think 3 months plus) you may need to have your goods offloaded into a climate controlled storage facility or warehouse. Another factor to consider when collecting moving estimates is, can the mover accomodate storage for you? Casey Movers has ample indoor warehouse space for our customers, and we have purchased many trailers (not straight trucks) for their drop and go capability. We are able to accomodate long-term hold overs without having to take the goods of our trucks. Not all movers can do this! 

6. Special considerations. Do you have a baby grand piano? If so, your movers will need a piano board and at a minimum of three movers. Do you have a pool table? If so, your movers will likely be able to break-down the pool table and transport it. However, you will need to hire a specialist to re-assemble the pool table and balance it.
You can reserve third party storage if you'd like, or you can store directly through Casey Movers. As a rule of thumb, one 10x20 storage unit is good for up to 8,000lbs of household goods. 

 MOVING WEIGHT RULES OF THUMB 

5 bedroom home - 20,000lbs
4 bedroom home - 16,000lbs
3 bedroom home - 12,000lbs
2 bedroom condo - 10,000lbs

These are general guidelines based on years of experience. Actual weight can fluctuate, but keep these numbers as a rule of thumb when getting weight estimates. If you are getting a 8,000lb estimate on a 4 bedroom home for instance... that should raise some red flags (unless you are eliminating half the home in terms of boxes and furniture). Please note that it isn't necessarily furniture that is difficult for an estimator to calculate... but it is the amount and weight of boxes that is difficult to control for. A 3 to 4 bedroom home has on average approximately 125 boxes at about 30lbs each. An experienced estimator will go over your home with a fine-toothed comb to ensure that weight assessment is accurate. 

PART TWO: RESERVING YOUR MOVE 

Casey Movers takes a 10% deposit to reserve your date. We can carry the deposit over to another date if your moving plans happen to change. Although we have resources that other movers may not have-- such as ample warehouse storage space, trailers for prolonged hold-overs--we are open to price negotiation if you get a better rate from another mover in writing. Please note that we do not necessarily match bottom line price if another mover comes in with a lower weight and hourly assessment, but we will match comparable rates. Feel free to set up another in-home meeting with a Casey Movers manager and be sure to have all competing estimates available. Ask about senior citizen and veteran discounts. 
When your 10% is put down to reserve a date, be sure to request a delivery date for your free boxes! You will receive a confirmation email with all rate information, moving dates and times. 

PART THREE: PREPARING FOR YOUR MOVE 

In general, you will want to have everything boxed prior to the movers arriving. Leave clothing in your dressers. File cabinets should be emptied, although the bottom drawer may remain full. 

Break-down of furniture is a general part of the move, however, as moving rates are by the hour, you serve to save money by having all furniture dis-assembled and ready to go prior to the movers arriving. Also, having boxes in a singular location such as a garage helps tremendously on your own wallet. 

Anything such as perfumes, jewelry, liquids, cash, gasoline, live plants, firearms and other valuables will need to be removed completely from your home before the movers arrive and should be transported in your own vehicle. 
Common Materials You Will Need

You will need small, medium and large boxes. Small boxes should be your primary box. Use these for common household items, books, dishes, etc. Medium boxes should be used primarily for clothing and linens. Large boxes should be used primarily for large blankets, comforters, etc. Regardless of size, try to limit weight to 30lbs. Make sure you tape boxes shut so that they do not open in transit. Mark items such as china, dishes, etc as "fragile" or "top load only" so that the movers do not stack other items on top of the box. Pack paper is useful to wrap dishes and fragile items. Make sure you use an ample amount as to provide the best protection. Packing tape is a necessity. There are also dish barrels (large boxes commonly used to pack kitchens) and wardrobe boxes (tall boxes with a 2-foot hanging bar for suits and other hanging clothes). 

To summarize, for your pack you will need... 

Small (book) boxes
Medium (linen) boxes
Large boxes
Packing paper
Packing tape
Wardrobe Boxes
Dish Barrels
Call 1-800-482-8828 to order boxes. Get 20 free book boxes complimentary with a move reservation through Casey Movers

The Ultimate Casey Movers Moving Guide

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Check out these Casey Movers Youtube videos!

Check out these Youtube videos that we've been putting up from Casey Movers.


We have real local references for Massachusetts based moves. The one above was from a move in Natick, MA (Natick Movers) that Casey Movers handled in February 2014.


Casey Movers has short term and long term storage solutions. We can store on a trailer, or load goods into an indoor warehouse facility in Rockland, MA (Rockland Movers).


Casey Movers provides full and partial packing services. We pack everything: dishes, artwork, clothing, etc. We provide complimentary breakdown of furniture in most cases.


Most of the time, our clients do not have the option to reschedule a move in the event of inclement weather. We show up in the snow and rain (unless there is a state of emergency). Of course, feel free to call us and reschedule if you are ABLE as it may be more convenient for you. Call Casey Movers at 1-800-482-8828.


This move was out of a multiple story brownstone in Boston. Watch as a mover, Tim F walks to the top floor to get a great view of the Boston skyline as other movers are hauling out boxes and furniture.


The video above is a great example of how skilled our Class A drivers are with a tractor trailer. Steve S successfully maneuvered this long driveway. These trailers are often necessary to hold all the goods in the average 3 or 4 bedroom home.

http://caseymovers.blogspot.com - Call us at 1-800-482-8828 for a free estimate and be sure to ask about FREE BOXES!